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A Waste of Space

I balance my illicitly obtained bottle of absinthe from a man who knows a man, for an exorbitant amount of Euros, on the worn wooden windowsill of my topmost room at the rundown pension overlooking the harbour. Next to it, I place my well-thumbed copy of La Nausée.* The dark apartment window reflects back the sparse furnishings behind me. I open the window to get a better view and my eyes are immediately drawn to the four cafés on the quayside – the object of my pilgrimage. Their incongruous proximity to one another always fascinated me as it couldn’t possibly be conducive to fair trade. The incessant wind from the Channel they have to endure in this enclave during each January was a bad trade-off for escaping the snow elsewhere.
     The lights from the cafés flicker at this distance like teenagers taking selfies. What is it with people’s constant desire to touch base with one another? If we’re alone in the universe, it would be a tragic waste of space; if we’re not alone, it’s still a tragic waste of space.
     I shut the window when the scent of a Gitanes lit by the occupant below wafts into the night air.
THE END

200 words (Neither THE END, nor the title count towards the word count in micro fiction)

Four Cafes
Sponsor: Julia Ward

Added AFTERWARDS 
Result: N/A
Title changed

BACKGROUND
The four cafés are mentioned in Sartre’s first book, and my statements 'my well-thumbed copy' and 'pilgrimage' led me to switching to the past tense. The mention of 'Euros' & 'selfies' places the piece squarely in the current modern milieu. One would not spend more than a few minutes with the window open in the middle of winter; the cold Channel wind is the prevailing wind on the north coast of France. It seldom snows in Normandy, where this book was set. As Le Havre (a fishing village until the 16th century) is now the site of heavy industry, this tale is pure creative licence.

Pension: boardinghouse in Europe.

Absinthe was banned in France for close to 100 years; only produced for export.

*La Nausée, 1938, is a philosophical novel by the existentialist philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre. Existentialism is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the issue of human existence. The incessant reminder that human endeavour is and remains useless makes the book tragic as well.
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‘The universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space.’ ~ Carl Sagan

Copyright © Suzette Richards | Year Posted 2023

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James Inman Date: 7/28/2023 6:53:00 AM As always Suzette, your write is intelligent, well thought out and filled with introspection. I read all of the poems sent upon your becoming a Lifetime member (congratulations), but this one stands out to me. Login to Reply Suzette Richards Date: 7/28/2023 7:31:00 AM Thank you, James, for your kind compliments. The encouragement is what inspires me.

Christopher Bowen Date: 4/15/2023 4:23:00 PM Hui Clos and other musings of Jean-Paul Greco et al always come to mind on the Left Bank. Mostly postwar funk but with a certain panache. I always thought Suzette was a strictly literary name given foxy maids in miniskirts so am delighted to find otherwise. Sadly Paris erodes, we have only the memories. Keep writing! Login to Reply Christopher Bowen Date: 4/15/2023 9:09:00 PM Many vacations in France. My preferred ID country (Freud-wise) where I escape my everyday environment and travel in time from the Mesolithic paintings in the caves of Peche Merle to Chartres Moulin Rouge Comedie Francaise Opera Bastille. Keep in touch! Christopherbowen5@msn.com Suzette Richards Date: 4/15/2023 5:25:00 PM My short stay on the Left Bank was memorable. I loved Paris. My name might have fitted me in my youth, but like a tattoo, it got a bit distorted as the years advanced... Lol Thanks for reading and commenting, Chris.

Joe Dimino Date: 3/13/2023 4:20:00 AM Wonderful introspective, meditative work. Really outstanding write. I could analyze, explain why we seem alone, and at other times together, even over-crowded...but why pollute such beautiful sentiment, with the nonsense of academics -- who know everything but how to honestly feel. Love it! A FAVE! Login to Reply Suzette Richards Date: 3/13/2023 7:09:00 AM Thank you for your favourable critique, Joe. I find it very encouraging:))

Mark Massey Date: 3/9/2023 9:41:00 AM Love it...its obvious that the narrator has has sunk pretty deep into that bottle of absinthe...well done! Login to Reply Suzette Richards Date: 3/9/2023 10:06:00 AM Thanks :)) Absinthe also featured in my micro-fiction, Validation, dated 24 February (my first draft to focus on this contest as I have deleted 2 previous entries under "Poems").